A new competition was held as the first tournament in the 2011 Otago Chess Club calendar. The Allan Chang Trophy, named after a long-standing club member, was donated on his death by his family. It was awarded annually until about ten years ago, but inexplicably fell into disuse. This year the club reinstated the trophy in the Allan Chang Memorial tournament, with a novel time limit and way of awarding the trophy. The time limit used was ten-minute 'hourglass', where digital chess clocks are set to mimic the effect of an hourglass with 20 minutes of sand in it – each side starting with half the sand. When it is your move, your sand runs into your opponent's half and vice versa. Running out of sand means losing the game. The method ensures equal use of time, but the tempo of the match can vary greatly depending on the temperament of the two players.
The tournament was won convincingly by club champion John Sutherland on 6/6, followed by Robert Wansink on 5 and the writer on 4 points. But in recognition of Allan Chang's own middling level of play, the trophy was awarded to the player who achieved the greatest upset victory. This was Tom Mottershead for his fourth round victory over club president, Terry Duffield.
Because the time limit used in the Allan Chang Memorial was not conducive to recording moves, today's game comes from last month's Ricany Regional Championship in the Czech Republic. Former Otago club member Mirek Voracek (White) annotates his spectacular win against Milan Holub.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 --- The Richter-Rauzer Attack is one of the most aggressive lines against the Sicilian. 6.--- e6 7.f4 Be7 8.Qf3 Qc7 9.O-O-O Nbd7 10.Bd3 b5 11.Rhe1 Bb7 12.Qh3 b4 13.e5!? Extremely courageous. In most games this season, I succeeded by scaring my opponent in the Sicilian with White; this one worked as well. 13.--- dxe5 14.fxe5 bxc3? Better was 14...Nxe515 Na4 Nxd3+ 16 Rxd3 0-0 and black is safe. The straightforward attempt 15 Nxe6 fxe6 16 Qxe6 Nxd3+ 17 Rxd3 bxc3 18 Bxf6 gxf6 19 Rde3 cxb2+ 20 Kb1 Kf8 doesn't give white anything. In a beautiful line that I had prepared: 15 Bxf6 gxf6 16 Bxh7 bxc3 17 Nxe6 Qb6! is the problem move I hadn't seen, crushing all White's chances. 15.exf6 gxf6 Not 15...cxb2+? 16 Kb1 just grabbing a pawn and wasting the opportunity to attack b2. 16.Nxe6 --- The show must go on. 16.--- Qb6? Black was truly scared. Better was 16...fxe6 17 Qxe6 0-0-0! giving back one piece and saving the king and the game. E.g. 18 Bh4! to the deadly b8-h2 diagonal 18...cxb2+ (or 18...Rhe8 19 Bg3 Qa5 20 Re4! with an attack) 19 Kb1 Bb4 20 Bg3 Qb6 21 Qxb6 Nxb6 22 Bf5+ Nd7 23 Re3 and White still has compensation. 17.Bb5!! The MOVE! Two white pieces are "hanging" at the moment so I add the third one. Black is lost. 17.--- axb5 18.Ng7+ Kf8 19.Bh6 Ne5 The move Black was hoping could save everything. And it does save many things. Except one line... 20.Nh5+ Ke8 Or 20...Kg8 21 Qg3+ Ng6 22 Rxe7 cxb2+ 23 Kb1 Qa6 24 Qa3! forcing mate. 21.Rxe5 Bc8 22.Ng7+ Resigns After 22...Kf8 23 Nf5+ and mates next move.
Allan Chang Trophy reinstated
Problem: White to play and mate in 4.
A new competition was held as the first tournament in the 2011 Otago Chess Club calendar. The Allan Chang Trophy, named after a long-standing club member, was donated on his death by his family. It was awarded annually until about ten years ago, but inexplicably fell into disuse. This year the club reinstated the trophy in the Allan Chang Memorial tournament, with a novel time limit and way of awarding the trophy. The time limit used was ten-minute 'hourglass', where digital chess clocks are set to mimic the effect of an hourglass with 20 minutes of sand in it – each side starting with half the sand. When it is your move, your sand runs into your opponent's half and vice versa. Running out of sand means losing the game. The method ensures equal use of time, but the tempo of the match can vary greatly depending on the temperament of the two players.
The tournament was won convincingly by club champion John Sutherland on 6/6, followed by Robert Wansink on 5 and the writer on 4 points. But in recognition of Allan Chang's own middling level of play, the trophy was awarded to the player who achieved the greatest upset victory. This was Tom Mottershead for his fourth round victory over club president, Terry Duffield.
Because the time limit used in the Allan Chang Memorial was not conducive to recording moves, today's game comes from last month's Ricany Regional Championship in the Czech Republic. Former Otago club member Mirek Voracek (White) annotates his spectacular win against Milan Holub.
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 d6
3.d4 cxd4
4.Nxd4 Nf6
5.Nc3 a6
6.Bg5 ---
The Richter-Rauzer Attack is one of the most aggressive lines against the Sicilian.
6.--- e6
7.f4 Be7
8.Qf3 Qc7
9.O-O-O Nbd7
10.Bd3 b5
11.Rhe1 Bb7
12.Qh3 b4
13.e5!?
Extremely courageous. In most games this season, I succeeded by scaring my opponent in the Sicilian with White; this one worked as well.
13.--- dxe5
14.fxe5 bxc3?
Better was 14...Nxe515 Na4 Nxd3+ 16 Rxd3 0-0 and black is safe. The straightforward attempt 15 Nxe6 fxe6 16 Qxe6 Nxd3+ 17 Rxd3 bxc3 18 Bxf6 gxf6 19 Rde3 cxb2+ 20 Kb1 Kf8 doesn't give white anything. In a beautiful line that I had prepared: 15 Bxf6 gxf6 16 Bxh7 bxc3 17 Nxe6 Qb6! is the problem move I hadn't seen, crushing all White's chances.
15.exf6 gxf6
Not 15...cxb2+? 16 Kb1 just grabbing a pawn and wasting the opportunity to attack b2.
16.Nxe6 ---
The show must go on.
16.--- Qb6?
Black was truly scared. Better was 16...fxe6 17 Qxe6 0-0-0! giving back one piece and saving the king and the game. E.g. 18 Bh4! to the deadly b8-h2 diagonal 18...cxb2+ (or 18...Rhe8 19 Bg3 Qa5 20 Re4! with an attack) 19 Kb1 Bb4 20 Bg3 Qb6 21 Qxb6 Nxb6 22 Bf5+ Nd7 23 Re3 and White still has compensation.
17.Bb5!!
The MOVE! Two white pieces are "hanging" at the moment so I add the third one. Black is lost.
17.--- axb5
18.Ng7+ Kf8
19.Bh6 Ne5
The move Black was hoping could save everything. And it does save many things. Except one line...
20.Nh5+ Ke8
Or 20...Kg8 21 Qg3+ Ng6 22 Rxe7 cxb2+ 23 Kb1 Qa6 24 Qa3! forcing mate.
21.Rxe5 Bc8
22.Ng7+ Resigns
After 22...Kf8 23 Nf5+ and mates next move.
1-0
Solution: 1 Rh7+! Kxh7 2 Qe7+ Kg6 (2...Rf7 3 Qxf7#) 3 Qg7+ Kxh5 4 Qg4#.